Law Enforcement Policies
This Policies section highlights how law enforcement policy plays out in the real world, while also connecting you with best practices for drafting, updating and ensuring accountability with policies.
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Always be prepared for questions about your agency’s traffic stop responses, policy and patrol officer training
A recent case involving law enforcement provides an opportunity for a closer look
Public safety leaders must consider the larger policy implications inherent in determining how these new laws and guidance apply to personnel
Police leaders have many questions relating to operations during this national emergency
Though the chief and the county were not held liable, this case points to the critical need for policy guiding carrying of weapons off duty
If called upon to deliver a death notification during COVID-19, follow these steps to ensure a professional and empathic response
The resource hub provides IACP members with the tools, information and resources they need to keep officers and their communities safe from COVID-19
The policy now allows people with visible tattoos to apply to be troopers, though the tattoos can’t be visible while troopers are in uniform
Public safety employers have statutory mandates to protect their employees and the public from these diseases
The department has implemented fewer than 15% of reforms it promised to adopt four years ago, though UOF incidents are down 47% since 2016
Troopers and cadets can have tattoos on their forearms and biceps, but they must be concealed by a long-sleeved shirt when on duty
The new policies include ending the charging of cases where contraband was obtained through ‘pretextual’ traffic stops
Data can provide the path through seemingly tough police decisions
Although LEOSA was written with the intent to allow active and retired officers broad powers to carry firearms nationwide, many legal issues remain unresolved
The bill changes suspension and promotion processes and creates a new disciplinary statute for false time reporting
Council members want to merge the city’s controversial database with the state’s larger one, while the NYPD argued for retaining the current database
Washington State Patrol officials told lawmakers they would like the option to destroy guns taken during the course of criminal investigations
“They send a wrong message and we need to improve the way we respond to sexual violence. This is a small but important part of that”
Four former LE members are reevaluating the practice of allowing officers to patrol while waiting for training
Should a trooper’s conflicting statements about a lost hat constitute the type of credibility failure that destroys an officer’s career?
Arbitrary policies prohibiting the hiring of the children of our finest are not only unfair but also un-American
The department amended the Patrol Guide after a lawsuit alleging officers treated a pregnant suspect ‘inhumanely’
Police leaders say the drone program has prevented potentially tragic shootings and clears non-emergency 911 calls
Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said he continues to work on reining in hours and improve oversight; early results show declines in overtime hours
The task force will develop and recommend new off-duty work policies for city police officers
Another 10 former officers have been criminally charged in connection with the abuse of policy
Street encounter training must be constantly evaluated and frequently rehearsed
The simplicity of the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) has led to well-intentioned, but misguided, administrative and procedural requirements
Although Austin City Council voted to end enforcement, Chief Brian Manley said officers will continue citing and arresting people for such offenses
The bill would create stricter penalties for trooper misconduct and improve other internal policies
The pursuit that ended in the death of Tamia Chappmann is still under review as community members call for an end to police pursuits altogether
Community leaders say Amrit Singh’s hiring marks the latest step in a series of events marking Houston as a beacon for religious tolerance
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